Method of manufacturing safety razor blades



July 4, 1933. J. E. CONNOLLY- METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SAFETY RAZORBLADES Filed Jan. 8, 1932 v m. clhmes If fannalgp ,j

Patented Ja 4, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT orrlca JAMES E. GONNOLLY, OFBALTIMORE, MARYLAND METHOD OF MANUFACIURING SAFETY RAZOR BLADESApplication filed ianuary 8, '1932. Serial No. 585,59 0.

the use of a blade produced according to the present invention, since itovercomes the necessity or completely detaching any parts of the razorto receive or release the blade.

'lhe bladesof the type with which the invention primarily deals areexceedingly thin and adapted to he used but once and then discarded.Because of said extreme thinness,

many dificulties have been experienced in manufacturing the blades. Thepresent novel method overcomes these difiiculties since the end of theattaching slot of the blade which is to he open in use, is maintainedclosed until the final step in its manulecture. 1', thereby, avoidwarping, unevenness or other distortion which cannot be pres-v ent in apractical and marketable blade.

Embodiments of the invention are illustrated in accompanying drawing,wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a razor about toreceive a blade;

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a razor blade constructed inaccordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the razor and blade;

Figure 3 is an end elevation of a clamping plate employed for the razor;

Figures 1 to 13 are plan views, each of a difierent form of razor bladeconstructed in accordance with the invention;

Figure 1%. is a plan view of a blank consisting ot a pair of razorblades, prior to severance and Figure 15 is a plan view of a modifiedform of blank substantially like Figure 14. The blade constructedaccording to the resent invention, is adapted for use in well own typesof safety razors which have a plate 10, a clamping plate 11 and a handle12 which receives a screw-threaded shank 13, rigid with the clamp plate11, and winch handle 12 is turned in order to tightly secure the blade14 in place, with its edges at the desired angle of cut. Blades ofthetype shown at 14 are made of very thin steel, hardened to the desireddegree, and are adaptedto be used but once and then discarded. Blades ofthe typereferred to are also held in place by the passage of the shank13 through a slot or slots bfthe blade,-the slots also receiving ribs 15located on oppo' site sides of the shank'l3 and disposed longitudinallyof the clamping plate. in addition, the corners of the blade are removedor notched as at 16 so that lugs 17 on the clamping plate may extendinto the same.

In existing blades for a razor of the general type referred to, theattaching slot through which the shank 13 and ribs 15 pass, is closed atboth ends of the blade. As a result, the attaching plate has to becompletely detached from the guard plate in order to insert or removeablade.

The present invention provides a blade in which the attaching slot,shown at 18, is open at one end of the blade 14. As a result, the.

attaching plate 11 does not have to be removed to receive or release ablade 14. By a sliding movement from either side of the plates, theblade may be applied to the razor since the open end of slot 18 Willrecelve or release the shank 13. The blade is preferably inserted withtherazor in the condition shown in Figure 1 where the plate 11 istemporarily disposed at a right angle to the guard plate 10. Since theclamping plate 11 does not have to be detached from the handle 12, a pinor the equivalent is provided at 19 on the shank to prevent detachingmovement thereof and a slot or opening 20 is provided in the handletoailord clearance v for movement of the pin as the handle and shank.move relatively.

Because of the extreme thinness of the blade 1%, much diiliculty hasbeen encountered in manufacturing the same so that the cutting edges 21and the end portions where the slot 18 is open will not be uneven,warped or otherwise distorted, by the various steps from a sheet ofrelatively soft or untempered steel, which blank is of a size to providetwo of the blades 14 since it is adapted to be cut or severed along acentraltransverse line 23. This blank has a slot 24 which crosses theline 23 and eventually forms the slots 18 for the individual blades. Itwill be noted that burs or fins 22 cross the slot 24 on opposite sidesof the said line 23. With the blank in the form shown in Figure 14, itsedges are ground off or sharpened roughly as at 21.

Thereupon, the blank is subjected to a heat treatment to temper orharden the same. Next the edges 21 are honed, stropped or otherwisegiven a final sharpening. At this stage, the blades are severed bycutting the blank along the line 23. As the final step, each blade hasthe fin or bur 22 cut therefi om along the opposite lines or sides ofthe attaching slots.

The blades produced from the blank of Figure 14 will have the shape ofthe blade shown in Figure 1*.

The blank of Figure 15 differs from that of Figure 14 in that the slots24 have central enlargements at 25 whereby the blade may fit an ordinarysafety razor in which it is incapable of being applied and removed bythe lateral sliding movement. In addition,

at the line of severance 26, the ends of the blade are preferablyrounded so that the entrances to the slots 18 will be flared. The blankof Figure 15 provides a blade of the form disclosed in Figure 5, 7 It isoptional in this form of Figure 15 toemploy or dispense with the fins,since the cutting at 26 1s the last step of manufacture, the slot beinclosed up to this final stage andthe blade bel ng sufficientlv stable.Also when-the fins are dispensed 'with, the blank is hardened, temline26.

It will be realized that the shape of the slots 24 or equivalent in thedifferent blanks pered or heat treated before severance along of thegeneral form of Figures 14 and 15 will vary according to the ultimateform of the razor blades, and, for instance, those suggested in Figures1 and 4 to 13.

In order toreceive the blade 14, the shank of the commercial type ofsafety razor is cut away at the junction with the clamping plate 11, asat 27, to'enable use of a slot like 18, of the same diameter throughout.In cases .Where the shank is not cut away as at 27, the blade of Figure4 may be used since the slot 18, throughout a portion thereof, isenlarged as at 28 to receive the shank.

Figure 6 illustrates a blade in which the ends are of different shape tofit a different design of razor.

The various slots of the blades may be, obviously, of a shape to enableattachment to a razor wherein the shank 13 is cut away at 27 as well asto existing forms of safety razors.

Figure 11 particularly shows that a plurality of the fins or burs 22 maybe used for each blade if desired.

Figures 7, 10, 12 and 13 shows different forms of fins, each having alarger central portion 30 and reduced end portions 81 connected alongthe side edges of the slots. Thus the fins decrease in width from thecenter to their ends, which is advantageous in guiding the cutter so asto sever them from the blades, truly along the sides of the slots, thusavoiding any shoulders or the like which might engage the shank 13 andhamper their insertion into a razor blade. It will be noted that thefins maybe cut away as at 32 and 33 in the form of Figures 7 and 10.

Figure 9 shows that the blade may have longitudinal rows of perforationsas at 34, to increase the flexibility thereof.

Various changes may be resorted to provided they fall within the spiritand scope of the invention.

I claim 1. The method of manufacturing a metallic razor blade consistingin forming a blade in an untempered condition substantially into thefinal shape with an attaching slot having a stabilizing fin across theslot adjacent an end, in thereafter hardening the blade, and infinally'removing said fin.

2. The method of manufacturing a metallic razor blade consisting informing the blade in an untempered condition substantially into itsfinal shape with an attaching slot having stabilizing fins in spacedrelation remaining across the slot, in thereafter hardening the bladeand in finally removing said fins.

3. The method of manufacturing a metal

